The Labor government promised to protect the last significant stands of old growth forests - 41,000 hectares of iconic sites in areas scattered across East Gippsland.

But it was a hollow promise. Community protests stopped logging at Brown Mountain twenty years ago, but state owned VicForests recommenced logging there in November and has two more areas of old growth earmarked for logging. With 90% of our old growth destroyed since European settlement, there’s not much left.

Key environment groups have released a report that reveals the commitment is even more disappointing. Forty per cent of the areas ‘identified’ by the government for protection are not old growth forest, nor are they threatened by the timber industry or useful for commercial logging. These non-oldgrowth areas are to be ‘protected’, while VicForests has continued to log very high conservation value old growth forests including the iconic Brown Mountain. Other old ancient forests at risk are Yalmy, Bungywarr and Stony Creek, to name just a few.

More old growth forest at Brown Mountain in East Gippsland is due to be logged by state-owned VicForests. If logging goes ahead, centuries-old giant trees will be destroyed - they can never be replaced. We need to protect remaining old growth forests as critical carbon banks, water catchments, places of beauty and as homes for native wildlife and endangered species.

We have lost too much already – 90% of our old growth has been destroyed since European settlement.

Contact Mr Brumby and ask him / demand that he keeps his promise to protect old growth forests.